Fastening means for a motor vehicle door



Dec. 17, 1968 P. u. PUTSCH ET AL 3,416,826

FASTENING MEANS FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR Filed Sept. 14, 1967 f w m WH 11 i! L W i I United States Patent 3,416,826 FASTENING MEANS FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE DOOR Peter U. Putsch, Mannweiler, Pfalz, and Karl Dieter Schorken, Wuppertal-Ronsdorf, Germany, assignors to Fa. Fritz Kieper, Remscheid-Hasten, Germany Filed Sept. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 667,717 Claims priority, application Germany, June 28, 1967, K 62,666 17 Claims. (Cl. 292198) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a door fastening lock for a vehicle a bush extending around a catch pin and engaging with the catch pin in a catch plate to simplify and shorten the cantilever mounting of the catch pin.

The invention relates to fastening means for a vehicle door comprising a catch and a catch plate one secured to the door and the other secured to the door frame, in which the catch includes a catch pin extending substantially at right angles to the surface to which it is fixed with a contact face extending concentrically to the centre of rotation of the catch pin, and in which the catch plate includes contact faces against which the catch can abut to secure the door against opening in a closed position or a preliminary closed position, the catch pin engaging in a recess in the catch plate when the door is closed. Such door fastening means have been proposed and have had the catch supported cantilevered from the lock plate. The cantilever mounting must be made relatively wide in order to be able to take up the loadings of the catch pin, so that the mounting has had to project relatively far on the inner side of the lock plate.

Fastening means for a motor vehicle door have also been prepared which the shaft of a cog wheel catch is supported, at its end projecting out of the cog wheel catch, in a housing covering the cog wheel catch. The housing is fixed to a lock plate so that bearing apertures in the lock plate and in the housing must be in alignment.

The invention has among its objects to provide vehicle door fastening means in which these disadvantages are at least mitigated. According to the invention in fastening means of the kind referred to the catch pin is supported in a bush projecting as far as the end of the catch pin which engages in the catch plate, and the bush is fixed in the catch plate. This arrangement provides that the catch pin is supported over its whole length and forces acting on the catch pin are therefore absorbed by the bush.

The bush is with advantage provided intermediate its ends with a recess for engagement of the contact faces of the catch plate on the catch pin, the contact faces being formed by projections. By this arrangement it is achieved that the catch plate can act on the catch pin in the intermediate portion of the bush and the catch plate can thereby enter into operative contact with the catch.

At the portion of the catch pin which co-operates with the contact faces on the catch plate, the catch pin which is generally cylindrical is with advantage cut away and provided with an inclined face formed by removing material from the bush and the catch pin until an approximately semi-circular cross-section is obtained. This results in the catch pin being releasable from the catch plate by being rotated into a position in which the inclined face extends parallel to the direction of closing.

It is of advantage for the inclined face to be concave. This means that the inclined face can be produced by applying a rotating cutting tool to the bush and catch pin.

It is of advantage for the contact faces of the catch plate Patented Dec. 17, 1968 which are formed by projections and which enter into operative contact with the catch pin, to be concave to correspond to the convex contact face of the catch pin formed by a portion of its cylindrical surface. This arrangement provides that forces acting on the door tending to open the door exert no moment of rotation on the catch pin.

The projections which form the contact faces of the catch plate have with advantage convex rear faces. In conjunction with the concave inclined face on the catch pin, this provides that upon the door being closed, when catch pin strikes against the rear faces of the projections, a large component of force acts on the catch in the direction of rotation of the catch pin, which component of force rotates the catch pin so that the inclined face extends substantially parallel to the direction of closing of the door, until the catch pin engages behind the projections.

The catch pin is with advantage reduced at its forward end which engages the catch plate and the bush has at its forward end a bore corresponding to the reduced end of the catch pin. This arrangement provides that the bush has a relatively great wall thickness in its forward region and is therefore strong.

The catch pin is with advantage also reduced at its rearward end and is held in the bush with the interposition of a bearing ring mounted on this reduced end, the outside diameter of the bearing ring being larger than that of the catch pin. This results in manufacture of the bush and insertion of the catch pin being substantially simplified as the bore in the bush has varying diameters which increase rearwardly, so that the bush can be easily machined and the catch pin can be inserted into the bush from the rear.

The bearing ring is with advantage secured in the bush and corresponds to length to the distance between an annular shoulder formed by the reduced end of the catch pin and a release lever which is non-rotatably mounted on the rearward end of the catch pin.

Thus the catch pin is held at its rearward end concentrically with the bearing ring and at the same time is secured against displacement in the longitudinal direction. Although the catch pin has several sections of different diameters, sections corresponding to the width of the bearing ring must have a precise, longitudinal dimensions and the other dimensions of the catch pin and the bearing bush may have relatively large tolerences.

The projections on the catch plate co-operating with the catch pin are with advantage provided on a steel plate provided in two parts to form a recess therebetween to accommodate the catch pin, the steel plate being arranged on the forward side of the catch plate. The projections can thus be of relatively strong construction and can therefore absorb high forces.

It is of advantage for the Width of a recess in the catch plate which accommodates the forward end of the catch pin mounted in the bush, to be greater than the distance spacing the two parts of the steel plate. This provides that the forward end of the bush engages behind the two parts of the steel plate. This provides a particularly strong longitudinal securing action for the fastening means.

The bush is with advantage provided on the side opposite cut away with a further cut away to allow contactfree movement with the adjacent part of the two part steel plate. Thus the bush and the catch pin project on both sides behind parts of the two-part steel plate and when a spreading force is applied to the door fastening means, a one-sided loading and bending is prevented.

It is of advantage for the length of the cut away portion in the catch pin and bush forming the inclined face to be greater than the thickness of the steel plate having the projections. By this arrangement it is provided that the steel plate engaging into the bush cannot strike against the bush when the door is opened and closed, and thus cause jamming.

The forward end of the bush, on the side faces is advantageously in guiding engagement with the upper and lower inner faces of the recess provided in the catch plate. This arrangement provides that the door is secured against vertical movements in the preliminary catch position and in the closing position.

The forward end of the bush strikes in the closed po sition of the door against a comma-shaped c'heck buffer provided in the recess in the catch plate. This provides that the closing movement of the door is ended by the check buffer, an increasing moment of resistance being opposed to the closing movement by striking the commashaped construction.

The steel plate preferably has holes to carry fixing screws which also engage through the catch plate. This provides that the fixing screws not only fix the catch plate to the door post, but at the same time also hold the twopart steel plate to the rearward side of the catch plate.

The two-part steel plate is with advantage fixed to the catch plate with beaded collars projecting into the holes. This arangement provides that the two-part steel plate is fixed to the catch plate, even before the fixing screws are inserted.

The invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows fastening means according to the invention for a motor vehicle door in cross-section taken along the line II indicated in HG. 2, and

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section taken along the line II II of FIG. 1.

The motor vehicle door fastening means shown in the drawings, comprises a catch to be fixed to the door (not shown in greater detail) and a catch plate 11 to be fixed to the door post (not shown in greater detail). The catch 10 has a catch pin 13 projecting at right angles out of a catch facing 12. The catch pin 13 is supported in a bush 14 extending to the forward end of the pin 13 which engages in the closing dog 11. The bush 14 is mounted in the catch facing 12. The catch pin 13 is reduced at its forward end, while the forward end of the bush 14 has a bore 16 corresponding to the reduced end of the catch pin 13. The annular shoulder 17 formed by the reduced end 15 does not come into contact with the annular shoulder 18 formed by the reduced bore 16, as the annular shoulder 18 is conical.

The catch pin 13 is also reduced at its rearward end 19. A bearing ring 20 is mounted on this reduced end 19, the outside diameter of the bearing ring 20 being larger than that of the catch pin 13. This simplifies manufacture of the bush 14, as the bore diameters increase towards the rearward end. This also makes it possible to insert the catch pin 13, as this 'latter can be fitted with the bearing ring 20 into the bush 14 from the rear. After insertion the bearing ring 20 is then secured in the bush 14. The bearing ring 20 which is a press fit in the bush 14 is then secured by one edge 21 being beaded over. The width of the bearing ring 20 corresponds to the distance between an annular shoulder 22 formed by the reduced end 19 of the catch pin 13 and a release lever 23 which. is non-rotatably mounted on the rearward end of the catch pin 13.

The bush 14 is provided at an intermediate portion with a cut away portion 24 to engage contact faces 27, 28, of the catch plate 11, the faces being formed by projections 25, 26. The cut away portion 24 is cut transversely of the longitudinal centre line of the bush 14 and embraces the upper half of the bush 14.

In the region of the cut away portion 24, at a region which co-Operates with the contact faces 27, 28 of the closing dog 11, the catch pin 13 which is in itself cylindrical is provided with an inclined face 29 formed by cutting material away until an approximately semi-circular cross-section is obtained. As FIG. 2 particularly shows, this inclined face extends at an angle to the direction of closing. To open the fastening means the inclined face 29 is turned parallel to the direction of closing by the release lever 23 coupled to the catch pin 13, so that the catch pin 13 is released from the projections 25, 26 of the catch plate 11. A spring attached to the release lever 23, but not shown, biases tht catch pin 13 to a position with the face 29 inclined. When the door is closed the inclined face 29 strikes against the shoulders 30, 31 of the projections 25, 26 of the catch plate 11 and turns the catch pin 13 allowing it to pass beyond the projections 25, 26.

As FIG. 2 shows, the inclined face 29 is concave. With this arangement when the catch pin strikes against the backs 30, 31 of the projections 25, 26 of the catch plate 11, a relatively high component of force is provided at the catch pin 13 in the direction of rotation thereof, and on the other hand manufacture of the catch pin 13 with the inclined face 29 is facilitated, as the inclined face 29 can be made by engaging a suitable rotatable cutter with the catch pin 13.

The catch pin 13 lies with a contact face 32 formed by the cylindrical surface, against one of the contact faces 27 or 28 of the projections 25 or 26 of the catch plate 11. The contact faces 27, 28 formed by the projections 25, 26 of the catch plate 11 are concave to correspond to the cylindrical outer face 32 of the catch pin 13. This arrangement provides that forces acting on the door and tending to open the door exert on the catch pin 13 no forces tending to turn the catch pin 13. The projections 25, 26 forming the contact faces 27, 28 of the catch plate 11 have rear faces of convex shape. This facilitates rotation of the catch pin 13 when the door is closed.

As FIG. 1 shows, the forward end of the catch pin 13 supported in the bush 14 engages in a recess 34 in the catch plate 11, the recess extending in the direction of closing. The projections 25, 26 which co-operate with the catch pin 13 are provided on a steel plate 35, spaced from a co-planar steel plate 36 adjacent the recess 34 to accommodate the catch pin 13. The width of the recess 34 in the catch plate 11, which recess accommodates the forward end of the catch pin 13 supported in the bush 14, is greater than the distance by which the plates 35, 36 are spaced apart.

The bush 14 is provided on the side opposite the cut away portion 24 serving for engagement of the projections 25, 26 of the catch plate 11 on the catch pin 13, with a cut-away portion 37 to obviate of the bush 14 with the plate 36. The depth of the cut away portion 37 is less than the wall thickness of the bush 14. The width of the cutaway portion 24 and the width of the cut-away portion 37 is greater than the thickness of the plate 35 or the plate 36. The plates 35, 36 can therefore engage in the bush. The wider forward end of the bush 14 therefore engages behind the plates 35, 36 providing a longitudinal securing means to accommodate large forces. A cut-away 38 forming the inclined face 29 of the catch pin 13 is wider than the cut-away portion 24 in the bush 14 so that only the wide forward end of the bush 14 comes to lie against the inner sides of the plates 35, 36 as a longitudinal securing means, and the catch pin 13 can be freely rotated.

As FIG. 1 shows, the catch pin 13 lies in guiding contact with the forward end of its bush 14, on the side faces 30, 40 of the recess 34 provided in the catch plate 11. The forward end of the bush 14 strikes in the closing position against a comma-shaped check buffer 41 provided in the recess 34. When the door is closed, its movement is ended by this check buffer, an increasing moment of resistance being opposed to the movement by the comma-shaped construction of the check buffer 41.

The plates 35, 36 have holes 42 to carry fixing screws (not shown) which at the same time engage through the catch plate 11. The holes 42 are provided with countersinks so that counter-sunk screws can be used. The fixing screws not only serve to fix the catch plate 11 to the door post, but also to fix the plates 35, 36 to the catch plate 11.

In the region of the holes 42 in the plates 35, 36 the catch plate 11 has collars 43 which engage in the holes 42 in the plates 35, 36 and are beaded over. This arrangement provides that the plates 35, 36 are fixed to the catch plate 11 before the catch plate 11 is fixed to the door post with the screws passing through the plates 35, 36.

We claim:

1. Fastening means for 'a vehicle door comprising a catch and a catch plate one secured to said door and the other secured to a door frame for said door, in which the catch includes a rotatable catch pin extending substantially at right angles to the surface to which it is fixed, a contact face on said catch pin extending concentrically to the centre of rotation of the catch pin, contact faces on said catch plate, said catch abutting said contact faces to secure the door against opening from a closed position or a preliminary closed position, said catch plate being formed to present a recess, said catch pin engaging in said recess when the door is closed, a bush, said catch pin being provided within said bush adapted to support said catch pin, said bush extending at least as far as said catch pin into said catch plate.

2. Fastening means according to claim 1, in which the bush is provided to be cut away intermediate its ends.

3. Fastening means according to claim 2, in which the catch pin is cylindrical and is cut-away at a portion which co-operates with the contact faces, which are formed by projections on the catch plate, to leave the catch pin at that portion of semi-cylindrical cross-section to form an inclined face.

4. Fastening means according to claim 3, in which the inclined face is concave.

5. Fastening means according to claim 3, in which the contact faces on the catch plate enter into operative contact with the catch pin in the closed position of the door and are concave to correspond to the cylindrical surface of the catch pin.

6. Fastening means according to claim 3, in which the projections forming the contact faces on the catch plate have convex rear faces.

7. Fastening means according to claim 1 in which the catch pin is reduced at its forward end, which engages in the catch plate, and the bush at its forward end is formed to present a bore of a size to receive the reduced end of the catch pin.

8. Fastening means according to claim 1, in which the catch pin is reduced at its rearward end, which is remote from the catch plate, and is held in the bush with the interposition of a bearing ring mounted on the rearward end, 'and in which the outer diameter of the bearing ring is larger than that of the catch pin.

9. Fastening means according to claim 8, in which the bearing ring is fixed in the bush and corresponds in its length to the distance between an annular shoulder formed by the reduced rearward end of the catch pin and a release lever which is non-rotatably mounted at the rearward end of the catch pin.

10. Fastening means according to claim 3, in which the projections which co-operate with the contact face of the catch pin are provided on one part of a two part steel plate, the two parts of which are spaced apart to accommodate the catch pin at the position at which it is cut away, the steel plates being arranged on the forward side of the catch plate.

11. Fastening means according to claim 10, in which the width of the recess defined by the catch plate which accommodates the forward end of the catch pin mounted in the bush is greater than the distance spacing the two parts of the steel plate.

12. Fastening means according to claim 3, in which the bush is provided, on the side opposite the position at which it is cut away to be further cut away to allow contact free movement with the adjacent part of the two part steel plate.

13. Fastening means according to claim 10, in which the length of the cut-aways in the bush and catch pin are each greater than the thickness of the steel plate having the projections thereon.

14. Fastening means according to claim 1, in which the forward end of the bush is in guiding engagement with the upper and lower faces of the recess defined by the catch plate.

15. Fastening means according to claim 1, in which the forward end of the bush lies in the closed position of the door against a comma-shaped check buffer provided in the recess defined by the catch plate.

16. Fastening means according to claim 10, in which the two-part steel plate is formed to present holes to carry fixing screws which at the same time engage through the catch plate.

17. Fastening means according to claim 16, in which the two-part steel plate is secured to the catch plate with beaded collars projecting into the holes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,797,115 6/1957 R'awden et a1. 292-11 2,814,193 11/1957 Roethel 142 2,929,652 3/ 1960 Martens et al 292341.13

FOREIGN PATENTS 921,427 1/1947 France.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 292340 

